Online Desk: Trashing Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader’s remark, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said nothing actually happened behind the scenes as the democratic world stuck to their stance on the resignation of the current regime for a credible election.

Speaking at a token hunger strike, he also said BNP and other opposition parties will launch an unstoppable movement after the Durga Puja for the restoration of democracy and unconditional release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.

“This is not an elected government. It can’t be called a government as it’s a ruler…they (govt) declared the largest political party BNP, which had been in power thrice, as their enemy. It means they do not believe in democracy. If they believe in democracy, they can’t consider any political party an enemy,” the BNP leader said.

He said it has been proved again that the government does not believe in democracy and the rule of law as it arrested two Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leaders of Narsingdi in a commando style violating the law from a students’ convention at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh on Thursday.

“They’re now saying everything has been settled behind the scenes. Why do you say this again and again? The reason is that nothing actually happened. The entire democratic world is clearly asking them (govt) to step down and hold a free and fair election,” Fakhrul said.

As part of its countrywide programme, BNP’s Dhaka south and north city units arranged a three-hour token hunger strike in the city demanding its Khaleda Zia’s unconditional release from jail and her advanced treatment abroad.

Several thousand BNP leaders and activists holding banners, festoons and placards joined the programme that began around 11am.

Fakhrul broke the hunger strike by drinking juice offered by Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Oli Ahmed around 2pm. Former vice chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Anwarullah Chowdhury and Prof Mahbub Ullah fed juice to the standing committee members.

Khaleda Zia, the 78-year-old former prime minister, has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka under the supervision of a 15-member medical board, led by a specialist doctor, Professor Shahabuddin Talukder, since August 9.

The medical board at a press conference recently recommended that she be urgently sent to a multidisciplinary centre abroad soon as there are now no treatment options available for her in Bangladesh.

Khaleda has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, and eye problems.

On September 5, Khaleda’s brother Shamim Iskandar submitted an application to the government to take her abroad for treatment, but it was turned down.